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Helen
Penny Downie as Helen and Paul McGann as Menelaus Photo by Keith Pattison
by Euripides in a new version by Frank McGuinness
Based on a literal translation by Fionnuala Murphy
Directed by Deborah Bruce
Shakespeare’s Globe
Until 23rd August 2009
A review by Alexandra Carey for EXTRA! EXTRA!
I have always found Greek plays fascinating - not least because of the never ending draw they have for theatre makers and audiences alike. They offer a virtually unrivaled palette for revision and interpretation, for new and exciting productions, as well as providing a wonderful arena for exploring big emotions and big questions “without being too on the nose” (as one director explained it to me). In Helen the Globe and McGuinness have really struck on an incredibly timely gold mine; its’ wonderfully playful, allowing for lots of theatrical tricks and interpretational flair, its’ got an appropriately warm and summery resolution for their ‘Young Hearts’ season but, most importantly, it has the trademark Euripidean anti-war punch. For anyone who has been listening to the news over the past few months (and indeed over the past few years) the gradual questioning whether the bloody and drawn out conflict at Troy was all for nothing must certainly resonate. This serious aspect doesn’t detract from the overall feel of this production - full of humour and games. The central plot device - that of mistaken identities and shadowy realities - has a magical feel and, as is said in many place throughout the programme, wouldn’t be amiss in any of Shakespeare’s later plays. Director Deborah Bruce and designer Gideon Davey certainly seem to have intentionally cast their version more on the melodramatic side of the line Greek drama always walks. They definitely do justice to the lightness of touch Euripides has and the degree of satire always present in his writing. There are lots of knowing looks at the audience, a visual feast of glitter, costume and colour, and plenty of camp which wouldn’t be out of place in a Morecombe and Wise sketch. This is all very amusing and playful - though it doesn’t always seem to hold together conceptually, for example the rather confusing presence of the sharp-suited operatic singer William Purefoy amongst the action. I think the key to Helen is the balance between the comic and serious moments - the way one throws the other into focus and the way in which their brotherhood shows each element more starkly for what it is. It is a play with a ‘happy ending,’ a real fairy tale on the surface, but there is a strong bite of waste and loss running beneath that surface which must not be overlooked. Occasionally this version has a tendency to forget that in all its glorious games and brilliantly constructed plot. Nevertheless Penny Downie gives a superb performance as Helen and carries the show with skill and grace. She is full of wit, fun and craftiness but also a genuine sense of loyalty and morality all topped with a fiery energy and determination - a million miles away from the traditional image of Helen as a selfish thoughtless betrayer. She is the real orchestrator and author of this plot and the sense of confiding in the audience is lovely and very well done. Paul McGann makes a charming, thoughtful Menelaus - with his machoism more comic duty than genuine self importance. Of the many boldly drawn supporting characters Penny Layden and Ukweli Roach, as the Gatekeeper and Messenger, both gave particular depth to their small portions of the play and made for memorable moments of comedy and poignancy. The chorus work is consistently detailed and tightly performed, charting the movement of the play nicely. Helen is a great night out and it feels like an event - especially in that unique dream world that is the Globe - something more akin to the true feel of a Greek play than many modern productions achieve. It is an absorbing experience, all around, never predictable and sprawling out into the audience like its set. For all its fun, it is nevertheless a trick - just like those performed by its characters - ended rather abruptly by the strange, winged figures of Helen’s dead brothers Castor and Pollox and, in this production, followed by a full cast dance. In this sense the play is very modern, teasing the audience’s expectations and refusing to allow us to see it as a simple, clean story about someone else, also refusing to end neatly or be nothing more than a fantasy. It is certainly worth catching this rarely seen gem of Euripides’ work.
Paul McGann as Menelaus with Philip Cumbus, Tom Stuart, Holly Atkins and Jack Farthing as The Chorus in Helen at Shakespeare's Globe Photo by Keith Pattison
Shakespeare's Globe 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9D Tickets: £5 - £33 Box office: 020 7401 9919 http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/theatre/boxoffice/
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